Colombo: Four people have died due to a landslide in Sri Lanka's Central Province on Saturday, Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said.
According to the DMC, the victims include three men and one woman. At least four others have been injured and hospitalized. Search and rescue operations are ongoing, with officials warning that additional victims may still be trapped under the debris.
The landslide struck a small shop popular among motorists for snacks and tea, sending earth and rocks crashing onto the building and several nearby vehicles, DMC said.
Police said the incident has led to significant traffic restrictions along the Colombo-Kandy main road, one of Sri Lanka's busiest roads, to ensure public safety.
Authorities have warned that ongoing heavy rainfall has increased the risk of further landslides, rockfalls, and earth slips, particularly in the Kadugannawa area. Landslide warnings have been issued for seven districts.
